Scooting and Hovering

Spectating an Ironman is almost as emotionally exhausting as participating.

Coaching for one is a roller coaster.

Doing both in person, well, I’m pretty shattered after chasing a Good Wolf all over the Ironman Arizona course today with my good friend and honorary Good Wolf, Russ.

Thank goodness for Razor scooters!

We scooted all over the Tempe run course, switching through at least four different Razors, draining full battery power on at least two. We puttered through the dirt and rocks. We raced up and down hills. We stood! We sat. It was a thrill!

As an athlete, you can’t control the weather, who shows up to race against you, mechanical issues, even nutritional issues to a certain extent.

As a coach, you can’t control any of that either, AND you can’t participate in the race, outside of some scooter magic.

So there’s really no control whatsoever. As I wrote yesterday, you have to “let it go.”

But is that really possible? I mean…really? If you truly care about the athletes you coach?

I wonder if I could coach without being a parent in that regard. My experience watching my children grow up helps me get out of my own way sometimes, which in turn helps me coach and at least try to get out of my athletes’ way.

I couldn’t help but think though, getting back to the Razor scooters and all the chasing around on the course.

Is chasing on a Razor any different than hovering like a helicopter parent? Am I being a devoted coach, or just a nervous nelly?

Am I helping, or am I hurting?

I don’t know. This is my way though. I feel fully invested in my Good Wolf pack of athletes, and I know where the dark moments hit in a race. I try to be there to help athletes through them.

Is that strategy, or is that smothering?

Is it productive, or protective, or projecting?

I don’t know. I can only say what I imagine parents might say during therapy sessions sometimes. “My intent is pure.”

I guess all you can do is talk it through with the athlete in advance and ask if that’s the kind of support they would appreciate.

You can’t control the race. You can only control your approach to the race — and I suppose scooting back and forth like a madman in the desert is the closest I can get to doing just that.